Below is a famous Arabic poem in eulogy of our dearest al-Imām al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Alī (may peace be upon him) composed by the honorable scholar and cornerstone of the Ḥusaynī pulpit, the late Shaykh Aḥmad al-Wā’ili (may God have mercy on his soul). We humbly dedicate this as a small gift to our second Imām on the auspicious anniversary of his birth on the 15th of Ramaḍān 3 A.H. Congratulations to all celebrating on this joyous occasion and may Allah give all of us the tawfīq of visiting our Imām in Jannat al-Baqī’ in our lifetimes. As al-Wā’ilī was a prolific scholar, he filled his eulogy with references to the ḥadīth that elucidate the merits of our blessed Imām. As usual, therefore, we have furnished this translation with some explanatory footnotes that help to expound the beauty of the poem as well as its ḥadīth references.

 

بـيـن الـنبوّةِ والإمـامة مَـعقِدُ يَـنْـميهِ حـيدرةٌ ويُـنجِبُ أحـمدُ يَـزدان بـالإرثِ الـكريم، فعَزْمةٌ مِـن حـيدرٍ ومـن النبوّة سُؤدَدُ فـإذا سـما خُـلُقٌ وطـابت دَوحةٌ فـالمرءُ بـينهما الـسَّرِيُّ الأوحدُ يـا أيُّـها الحسنُ الزكيُّ، وأنت مِن هـذي الـمصادر لـلروائع مَـورِدُ أأبـا مـحمّد أيُّـها الـفَرخُ الـذي آواهُ مِــن حِـجْر الـنبوّةِ مَـقعدُ وشَـدَت لـه الـزهراءُ تملأ مَهدَهُ نـغـماً غــداةَ تَـهزُّهُ وتُـهَدهِدُ   ورَعَـته بـالزادِ الـكريم عِـنايةٌ لـلـه تُـغـدِقُ بـالكريم وتَـرفِدُ عَـيناهُ تـستجلي مـلامحَ أحـمدٍ وبـسمعهِ الـوحيُ الـمبينُ يُـردِّدُ ويَـربُّهُ الـمحرابُ وهـو مُطوَّقٌ عـنُقُ الـنبيّ غَـداةَ فـيه يسجدُ وتَـشُدُّ عـزمتَه مـلاحمُ لـلوغى حُـمْرٌ أبـوه بـها الهِزَبْرُ المُلْبِدُ زَهَتِ النجومُ على سَماكَ، وليس في أُفُــقٍ نُـمِـيتَ إلـيه إلاّ فـرقدُ ولـك الـمواقفُ والـمشاهدُ واحدٌ يـروي وآخَـرُ بـالبطولة يَشهدُ فالـنهروانُ وأرضُ صِـفّينٍ بـها أصـداءُ سـيفكَ مـا تزال تُعرَبِدُ وأبـوك حـيدرُ، والـحَيادرُ نسلُها مِـن سِـنخِها وابنُ الحسامِ مُهَنَّدُ ما أقبح التاريخ حين يلح في كذب عليك وذو المناقب يحسد أسماك مزواجا وهذي فرية وروى بأنــك خـــائــف مـتـلـدد ماذا أأنت تخاف والجـد الـذي يـنـمـيـك والأب شـعـلة تـتـوقد قـالوا: تنازلَ لابن هندٍ والهوى يُـعمي عـن القولِ الصوابِ ويُبعدُ مـا أهـونَ الـدنيا لديكَ وأنت مِن وَكْـفِ الـسَّحابةِ فـي عطاءٍ أجودُ والـحُـكْم لـولا أن تُـقيمَ عـدالةً أنـكى لـديك مِـن الذُّعافِ وأنكدُ ويَـهـون كـرسيٌّ لـمَن أقـدامُهُ تَـرقى عـلى صدر النبيِّ وتصعدُ أوَ يـبتغي مـنه الـسيادةَ مَـن لَهُ شَـهِد الـنبيُّ وقـال: إنّك سيّدُ ؟! قـد قـادنا لـلصِّدقِ فـيه مـحمّدٌ ومُـذَمَّـمٌ مَـن لـم يَـقُدْهُ مـحمّدُ يـا مَـن تَـمرُّ به النجومُ وطَرفُهُ نـحوَ الـسماء مُـصوِّبٌ ومُصعِّدُ تَـتناغمُ الأسـحارُ مِـن تـرديدهِ إيّــاك ربّـي أسـتعينُ وأعـبُدُ يـتلو الـكتاب، فينتشي مِن وعدِهِ ويَـهـزُّهُ وَقـعُ الـوعيدِ فـيُرعِدُ روحٌ بـآفـاق الـسـماءِ مُـحلِّقٌ ويــدٌ بـدَينِ الـمُعْوِزين تُـسدِّدُ وسـماحةٌ وَسِـعَت بُـنبلِ جذورِها حـتّـى لـمـروانٍ ومـا يَـتولَّدُ وجَـرَعتَ أشـجانَ آبنِ هندَ ولؤمَهُ كـالـليث إذ يـنقادُ وهـو مُـقيَّدُ أزجـى إلـيك الـسُّمَّ وهو سلاحُهُ ويــدُ الـجبانِ بِـغِيلةٍ تَـستأسِدُ فـتَقَطَّعت أحـشاك وانـطفأ السَّنا وذَوَت شِـفـاهٌ بـالـكتابِ تُـغرِّدُ واسـتوحشَ المحرابُ حَبراً طالما ألـفاهُ فـي كَـبِد الـدُّجى يـتهجّدُ يـا تُـربَ طَـيبةَ يـا أريجَ محمّدٍ يـا قُـدسُ عـطَّرهُ الـبقيعُ الغَرقدُ أفـدي صعيدَكَ بالجِنانِ.. وكيف لا وبـنو عـليِّ عـلى صعيدكَ رُقَّدُ حـسنٌ وزيـنُ الـعابدين وبـاقرٌ والـصادقُ الـبحرُ الخِضَمُّ المُزبِدُ أُولاء هُـم عِـدْلُ الكتابِ ومَن بهم نـهـجُ الـنبيّ وشـرعُهُ يـتجدّدُ وهـمُ ذوو قُربى النبيّ فويلُ مَن قَـتَـلوا بـقتلِهمُ الـنبيَّ وألْـحَدوا وأبَـوا عـليهم أن يُـشيَّد مَـرقدٌ لـهـمُ وشُـيِّد لـلتوافهِ مـرقدُ مـهلاً فـما مُـدِح الـلُّبابُ بقشرِهِ والـسيفُ يـبني المجدَ وهو مُجرَّدُ لابـدّ مِـن يـومٍ عـلى أجسامِهم كـمِثالِ أهـلِ الكهف يُبنى مسجدُ حـيَّتْكَ يـا روضَ الـبقيعِ مشاعرٌ قـبلَ الـجِباهِ عـلى تُرابك تَسجُدُ ورَوَت ثَـراكَ عـواطفٌ جـيّاشةٌ وسَـقَت رُبـاكَ مـدامعٌ لا تَـبرُدُ

Between Nubūwwah and Imāmah, there’s a juncture Begotten by Aḥmad and strengthened by Ḥaydar Adorned by legacies twain of nobility: Ḥaydarite tenacity and Prophetic gracility[1] And when morals refined fuse thus with pure roots Its owner is peerless—transcending reputes! Oh al-Ḥasan al-Zakī—the pristine—you are From these founts: the source of marvels, far![2] Oh Abū Muḥammad: oh you special hatchling: On the crux of Nubūwwah had been your latching![3] Your cradle was filled by Fāṭimah’s humming As she rocked and swayed it in early morning Reared by the honorable Godly Providence That assists and pours onto men of prominence Whose eyes by the glimpses of Aḥmad shimmered Whose ears by the sounds of revelation quivered Raised by the miḥrāb, while he was clasped To the Prophet’s collar as in sajdah he passed Resolve only sharpened by red heats of battle By its lion: his father, the king of its grapple[4] In your sky only glimmers such dazzling stars Your horizon not filled except of lodestars[5] Yes! Yours are events and stances that state And bear witness to your many epic a trait: Both in Nahrawān and Siffīn did echo The strikes of your sword: yet still they bellow! For your father is Ḥaydar, and the brood of a Ḥaydar Is self-same: a sword’s son is a saber![6] How horrendous is history, that still doesn’t budge In its lies about you: your rank still begrudged They call you debauched! Oh what a falsity![7] And claim you were captious, fearful of paucity[8] What! Should one fear with a grandfather like yours?! With a father whose flame with radiance soars?! They say: “To the son of Hind he relented!” Such blinding conceit, of all truth rended! How abased this world is to you, for you are Beyond its cloud’s drizzle, more gifted by far! If not to back justice, that whole sovereignty Was to you a bane wicked and surely lowly For a throne is nothing to one whose own feet On the chest of the Prophet had climbed to seat! Is leadership sought with such burning passion By one whom the Prophet had told, “You’re a captain?!” Yes Muḥammad to him had guided in truth If not led by Muḥammad, then you‘re the uncouth![9] Oh one over whom stars most wondrous passed While his gaze he kept fixed on God’s Heavens, vast The daybreaks filled by his pious insistence: Only Thee I worship and from You seek assistance! Reciting the Book: by its promises reveled While at its threats he would shake and tremble A spirit on heavenly horizons flying[10] A hand that in charity had been undying Liberality so noble, it encompassed all Marwān and his spawn were in its thrall[11] To the son of Hind’s evil you did fall prey Like a lion bound up and forced to obey He snuck to you poison, his choicest weapon For a coward needs stealth to hunt such a lion[12] It ripped your insides and smothered your glim And dried those lips that God’s Book had hymned The miḥrāb: bereft of that saintly scholar Long found in those darkest nights in prayer Oh soils of Ṭaybah, with Muḥammad’s bloom! Oh sacred land by Baqī’ perfumed![13] I ransom your land with gardens—how not? While the sons of ‘Alī do rest in your lot?! Ḥasan, Zayn al-‘Ābidīn, and Bāqir And al-Ṣādiq—that Ocean always sought after? Those are the equals of God’s Book, preserved By whom the Prophetic path is observed And they are the Prophet’s kin—so dishonor On those that killed the Nabī by their murder[14] They deny to erect upon them a grave While even of fools are granted a grave! Take heed! For fruits by their husks aren’t praised And swords build glory while they are unscathed No doubt a day will come when a masjid On their bodies—like Aṣḥāb al-Kahf—is erected[15] Peace to that plain of Baqī’ from this zeal Preceding those brows on its soil that keel May your sands be drenched by passions gushing And your quarter quenched by tears ever-rushing![16]

 

[1] Shaykh al-Wā’ilī opens up his qaṣīdah for the first-born son of Imam ‘Alī and Lady Fāṭimah (as) in remarking at how Imām Ḥasan (as) was the first iteration of the fusion of Prophethood and Imāmate. Al-Wā’ilī’s wording is particularly beautiful here, as he notes that Imām Ḥasan is primarily descended of the Holy Prophet (sawa) and that Imām ‘Alī (as) is the means through whom his lineage is even further strengthened.

[2] Al-Wā’ilī addresses the Imām by one of his most famous nicknames (alqāb), Al-Zakī. There is a beautiful antithesis in these lines between the words maṣādir (fountainheads) and mawrid (watering-ground). In these lines, marvels themselves are personified as arriving at the watering-ground that is Imām al-Ḥasan (as).

[3] Abū Muḥammad is the tekonym (kuniyah) of Imām al-Ḥasan (as) that was given to him by the Holy Prophet (sawa). Therefore, al-Wā’ilī has expertly incorporated the ism, kuniyah, and laqab in his addresses to the Imām.

[4] These lines are imbued with powerful imagery wherein the various legendary personalities who reared our Holy Imām are mentioned one after the next: graceful tenderness from Lady Fāṭimah, reverence and worship of the Divine from the Holy Prophet, and chivalry from Imām ‘Alī. The reference to Imām Ḥasan latching onto the Holy Prophet (sawa) while he passed into sajdah is well-documented in many ḥadīth such as the following:

عبد الله بن شيبة عن أبيه أنه دعي النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله) إلى صلاة والحسن متعلق به فوضعه النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله) مقابل جنبه وصلى، فلما سجد أطال السجود فرفعت رأسي من بين القوم فإذا الحسن على كتف رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) فلما سلم (عليه السلام) قال له القوم: يا رسول الله لقد سجدت في صلاتك هذه سجدة ما كنت تسجدها كأنما يوحى إليك فقال (صلى الله عليه وآله): لم يوح إلي ولكن ابني كان على كتفي فكرهت أن أعجله حتى نزل.

‘Abdullāh bin Shaybah narrates from his father that the Prophet (sawa) was summoned for prayer and Ḥasan was holding onto him. Thus the Prophet put him next to his side and prayed; when he went into prostration he lengthened it, and I lifted my head among the crowd to see that Ḥasan was on the back of the Holy Prophet. When the Prophet did taslīm and finished his prayer, the people asked him, “You prostrated in this prayer a prostration that you have never done before, perhaps something was revealed to you?” Then the Holy Prophet (sawa) said, “No I did not receive revelation, but my grandson was on my back and I disliked that I should hasten him off until he himself descended.” (Biḥār al-Anwār, volume 43 page 294)

[5] This is a beautiful metaphor that encapsulates the meaning of the famous ḥadīth narrated by the Holy Prophet (sawa):

عن ابن عباس: إن رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم قال: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ، أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ النَّاسِ جَدًّا وَجَدَّةً ؟ أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ النَّاسِ عَمًّا وَعَمَّةً ؟ أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ النَّاسِ خَالًا وَخَالَةً ؟ أَوْ أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ النَّاسِ أَبًا وَأُمًّا ؟ هُمَا الْحَسَنُ وَالْحُسَيْنُ ، جَدُّهُمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، وَجَدَّتُهُمَا خَدِيجَةُ بِنْتُ خُوَيْلِدٍ ، وَأُمَّهُمَا فَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، وَأَبُوهُمَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ، وَعَمُّهُمَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ، وَعَمَّتُهُمَا أُمُّ هَانِئٍ بِنْتُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ، وَخَالُهُمَا الْقَاسِمُ ابْنُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ، وَخَالَتُهُمَا زَيْنَبُ ، وَرُقَيَّةُ ، وَأُمُّ كُلْثُومٍ ، وَبَنَاتُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

On the authority of Ibn ‘Abbās: “The Messenger of God (sawa) said: “Oh people, should I inform you of the best of people (in lineage) by grandfather and grandmother, by paternal aunt and uncle, by maternal aunt and uncle, by father and mother? Al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn: their grandfather is the Messenger of God, their grandmother is Khadījah bint Khuwaylid, their mother is Fāṭimah daughter of the Apostle of God, their father is ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, their paternal uncle is Ja’far ibn Abī Ṭālib, their paternal aunt is Hānī bint Abī Ṭālib, their maternal uncle is Qāsim the son of the Apostle of God, their maternal aunts are Zaynab, Ruqayyah, and Umm Kulthūm—the daughters of the Apostle of God (sawa).”

[6] The bravery of Imām al-Ḥasan is well-attested in the books of history; he was always the foremost in the battles of Jamal, Ṣiffīn, and Nahrawān. This was to such an extent that Imām ‘Alī famously states the following lines in Nahj al-Balāghah Sermon 207 at seeing Imām Ḥasan racing to the battlefield:

امْلِكُوا عنِّي هذَا الْغُلاَمَ لاَ يَهُدَّنِي، فَإِنَّنِي أَنْفَسُ بِهذَيْنِ ـ يَعْنِي الحَسَنَ وَالْحُسَيْنَ (عليهما السلام) عَلَى الْمَوْتِ، لِئَلاَّ يَنْقَطِعَ بِهِمَا نَسْلُ رَسُولِ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله)

“Hold back this young man on my behalf, lest he causes my ruin, because I am loath to send these two (al-Hasan and al-Husayn) towards death, lest the descending line of the Prophet (sawa) is cut away by their death.”

[7] Al-Wā’ilī alludes here to the narrations that claim that Imām al-Ḥasan was miṭlāq (a person who frequented divorce) and mizwāj (someone who kept getting married again and again). Unfortunately, some of these narrations have even crept into our Shī’ah collections such as al-Kāfī. Sayyid Sa’īd Akhtar Rizvī has a great discussion about these narrations in which he espouses that these narrations were fabricated by the ‘Abbāsids (specifically Abū Ja’far al-Manṣūr) as part of a smear campaign against Ḥasanī sayyids, with whom they were in conflict (cf. Imam Ḥasan, The Myth of His Divorces available on www.al-islam.org)

[8] This is an allusion to the fabricated riwāyāt that Imām Ḥasan was ‘Uthmānī in persuasion and used to quarrel with his father Imām ‘Alī about how ‘Uthmān was treated; al-Wā’ilī also alludes to the narrations that blame Imām Ḥasan for making a peace treaty with Mu’āwiyah and claim he was frightened.

[9] This is a brilliant critique in poetry by al-Wā’ilī against all these fabrications that aim to dismantle the status and merit of Imām al-Ḥasan; the import of his words match a ḥadīth narrated in ‘Ilal al-Sharā’i volume 1 page 211:

عن أبي سعيد عقيصا قال قلت للحسن بن علي بن أبي طالب يا بن رسول الله لم داهنت معاوية وصالحته وقد علمت أن الحق لك دونه وان معاوية ضال باغ؟ فقال: يا أبا سعيد ألست حجة الله على خلقه وإماما عليهم أبى؟ قلت بلى قال: ألست الذي قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله لي ولأخي الحسن والحسين إمامان قاما أو قعدا؟ قلت بلى قال فانا إذن إمام لو قمت وأنا إمام إذ لو قعدت، يا أبا سعيد علة مصالحتي لمعاوية علة مصالحة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله لأهل مكة حين انصرف من الحديبية أولئك كفار بالتنزيل ومعاوية وأصحابه كفار بالتأويل…سخطتم علي بجهلكم بوجه الحكمة فيه ولولا ما أتيت لما ترك من شيعتنا على وجه الأرض أحد إلا قتل

On the authority of (al-Dīnār) Abū Sa’īd ‘Aqayṣā: “I told al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Alī: “Oh son of the messenger of God, why did you relent to Mu’āwiyah and make a peace treaty with him while you knew the truth was with you and that Mu’āwiyah was a deviant rebel?” He answered, “Oh Abū Sa’īd am I not the proof of God upon creation and was not my father an Imām over them (as well)?” I answered, “Yes of course.” He said, “Am I not the one about whom the Holy Messenger (sawa) said about me and my brother, “Al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn are Imams whether they rise up or sit down?”” I said, “Yes.” He said, “Therefore I am the Imām whether I rise up or sit down; Oh Abū Sa’īd, the reason for my truce with Mu’āwiyah was the same reason of the Prophet’s truce with the people of Makkah when he departed from Ḥudaybiyyah; those were disbelievers in revelation (tanzīl) while Mu’āwiyah and his entourage are disbelievers in its interpretation (ta’wīl)…you have become angry at me due to your ignorance about the wisdom behind it, while if I had not done what I did there would have been no one of our Shī’ah on this Earth except he would be killed.””

[10] Al-Wā’ilī’s description of Imām al-Ḥasan in these lines perfectly matches the ḥadīth narrated about his virtues as narrated in al-Amālī of Shaykh al-Ṣadūq page 179:

عن أبي عبد الله الصادق حدثني أبي, عن أبيه: أن الحسن بن علي بن أبي طالب كان أعبد الناس في زمانه وأزهدهم وأفضلهم وكان إذا حج حج ماشيا، وربما مشى حافيا. وكان إذا ذكر الموت بكى وإذا ذكر القبر بكى، وإذا ذكر البعث والنشور بكى، وإذا ذكر الممر على الصراط بكى، وإذا ذكر العرض على الله تعالى ذكره شهق شهقة يغشى عليه منها وكان إذا قام في صلاته ترتعد فرائصه بين يدي ربه عز وجل. وكان إذا ذكر الجنة والنار اضطرب اضطراب السليم، وسأل الله الجنة وتعوذ به من النار وكان لا يقرأ من كتاب الله عز وجل: {يا أيها الذين آمنوا} إلا قال: لبيك اللهم لبيك! ولم ير في شيء من أحواله إلا ذاكرا لله سبحانه، وكان أصدق الناس لهجة، وأفصحهم منطقا

Imam Ja’far al-Ṣadiq (as) narrated from his pious forefathers: “Al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the most worshiping man at his time, the most ascetic, and the most meritorious. When he performed the Ḥajj, he did so on foot and sometimes barefooted. When he remembered death, he wept; when he remembered the grave, he wept; when he remembered resurrection, he wept; when he remembered the passing on Al-Ṣirāṭ, he wept; and when he remembered the display of deeds before Allāh, he would sigh in such a way that he would faint. When he used to stand for prayer, his muscles would tremble before his Lord. When he remembered heaven and hell he would convulse, asking Allāh for heaven and seeking His refuge from hell. Whenever he recited {O you who believe…} from the book of Allah, he used to say: “At your beck and call my Lord!” He was never witnessed in any state except that he was remembering Allāh; and he was the most honest in speech and most eloquent in discourse.”

[11] Al-Wā’ilī alludes to this report which is mentioned in even Sunnī books of history:

وأخرج ابن عساكر عن جويرية بن أسماء قال: لما مات الحسن بكى مروان في جنازته، فقال له الحسين: أتبكيه وقد كنت تجرعه ما تجرعه؟ فقال: إني كنت أفعل ذلك إلى أحلم من هذا، وأشار بيده إلى الجبل.

“Ibn ‘Asākir narrates on the authority of Juwayriyyah son of Asmā’ who said, “When al-Ḥasan died, Marwān cried over his coffin and al-Ḥusayn told him, “Do you cry over him while you tormented him the way you did? Marwān answered while pointing at a mountain “I used to do that to someone who was even more forbearing than that (mountain).”

[12] There is a beautiful antithesis embedded in these lines, in which the ferocity of Imām Ḥasan as a lion is compared with the cowardice and cunning of Mu’āwiyah.

[13] These lines are especially beautiful as al-Wā’ilī uses three separate words that all imply fragrance: firstly, the name Ṭaybah (one of the names of Madīnah that means “the fragrant”), arīj (aroma), and ‘aṭṭara (to perfume). This indicates

[14] In these lines, al-Wā’ilī alludes to Ḥadīth al-Thaqalayn wherein the Ahl al-Bayt are placed as the second weighty thing (thiql) after the Holy Qur’ān. He also alludes to their title as the Qurbā (blood relatives) of the Holy Prophet (sawa), as in the verse of Mawaddah. By their murder of the Holy Prophetic progeny, al-Wā’ilī notes that the criminals who killed our Imāms metaphorically murdered the Holy Prophet (sawa).

[15] This is a brilliant allusion to the crimes of the Salafist regime in razing the mausoleum of Jannat al-Baqī’. Al-Wā’ilī utilizes an Arabic rhetorical device known as al-tashbīh al-balīgh (the eloquent metaphor) here in stating that the bare graves of our Imāms are like sharp swords and sweet fruits, that are not judged by their scabbards or outer shells. Although they may lack a proper mausoleum, their brilliance is obvious to those imbued with insight.

[16] Al-Wā’ilī concludes his poem with a special benediction known as al-suqyā, wherein the poet supplicates to God to water the grave of his beloved. The speaker asks God to take his zeal for the Imām in a poetic and spiritual ziyārat of the heart to the gravesite of al-Baqī’. May Allāh grant us all the tawfīq to visit the Holy Grave of our Imām!